Federation’s annual meeting features awards, elections

By Carl Zebrowski Editor

The presentation of three major awards highlighted of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s Community Celebration and Annual Meeting on June 8.

The night began with an Israeli-style picnic featuring hummus, falafel and other kosher specialties catered by Dror Levi, who runs the food truck that used to be parked in the JCC’s Tilghman Street lot.

After dinner, Jeri Zimmerman, executive director of the Jewish Federation, welcomed the crowd, and the award presentations followed. The three winners are well-known faces in the community: Fay Kun, Rachel Levin and Aaron Gorodzinsky.

Kun received the Mortimer S. Schiff Award for Prejudice Reduction, given to a community member committed to spreading and teaching tolerance by word and action. Kun teaches students about the Holocaust and provides exhibits and artifacts that travel to schools throughout the Lehigh Valley. “Her message is simple,” Zimmerman said: “step up to stop bullying and other forms of ostracizing that can lead to greater terrors over time.”

The focal point of Kun’s educational talks is her mother’s story of surviving the Nazi camps as a teenager.

“With antisemitism on the rise,” Zimmerman said, “this is an increasingly important time to educate and share this message.”

Lauren Rabin, last year’s winner of the George Feldman Achievement Award for Young Leadership, presented this award to Rachel Levin.

Levin’s involvement with the Federation began in 2016-17, when she participated in the leadership program Israel Next Door. Since then, she has been a member of the Federation’s board of directors and of the board of the Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy.

She chaired the 2022 Women’s Philanthropy Chanukah Party and participated in the 2022 Momentum trip to Israel. “The Chanukah party was so much fun,” said Rabin.

Levin recently led the Women’s Philanthropy Dignity Grows initiative to pack totes full of essential hygiene supplies for women in need. Working with Jewish Family Service and a sorority from Lehigh University, Federation volunteers filled and delivered 300 totes.

Zimmerman presented the Mark L. Goldstein Award for Jewish Communal professionals, established in 2019 in memory of the longtime Federation executive director. It went to Aaron Gorodzinsky, the Fed- eration’s director of campaign and security planning.

“Aaron engages, motivates and serves our community with an open heart” said Zimmerman, mentioning that she was getting verklempt as she spoke about her second-incommand on the Federation staff. “He lives with a strong, personal vision and has committed himself to Jewish communal service, and our community is the lucky beneficiary.”

Gorodzinsky has a long list of credits in the community to his name, including managing the Federation’s 2023 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs; organizing the Main Event with the comedian Modi; helping the Jewish agencies secure government security grants; planning the Summit to Combat Antisemitism; managing the Maimonides Society of health-care professionals; implementing the Shine a Light campaign in cooperation with the mayors of Easton, Bethlehem, and Allentown; spearheading participation in the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition; and working with the clergy of the Bethlehem Interfaith Group.

Elections for Federation board members and officers wrapped up the business portion of the meeting with Gary Fromer, chairman of the nominating committee and immediate past president of the Federation, officiating.

Dr. Eric Fels was voted onto the board for a two-year term. Bruce Reich, Vickie Semmel and Debi Wiener received three-year terms. Officers voted onto the board were Iris Epstein, treasurer; Beth Kozinn, secretary; Aliette Abo, Dr. Bill Markson and Dr. Israel Zighelboim, vice presidents; and Robby Wax, president.

Bob Grey; Nati Lerner, the Mayor of Yoav, Israel; Rita Scheller; and Jean Weiner were reelected to the honorary board.

Honorary board officers vot- ed in were Ross Born, president; Lenny Abrams, Wendy Born, Danny Cohen, Barnet Fraenkel, Murray Goodman and Bobby Hammel, vice presidents; and Roberto Fischmann, treasurer. Zimmerman paid tribute to three longtime fixtures in the community who were retiring or moving on to new positions: Amy Golding, departing head of school at the Jewish Day School; Rabbi Melody Davis, retiring rabbi of Congregation Bnai Shalom; and Vikki Dunn, retiring executive director of Congregation Keneseth Israel.

“We really are a blessed community,” said Zimmerman.

| HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY